The Market on Mondays
by Hopeful Smile
Summary: Amy goes to the grocery every Monday for a reason. Then some one screwed with her schedule, with a hundred kisses. AU/OOC
1. Chapter 1:Oh, the discount

_AN: I'll make this short. I re-wrote this, I hope it sounds better. If there are any grammatical errors, I apologize. Mistakes are my own._

It was another Monday.

I started walking downtown.

Mondays were meant for the market. The weekends were insanely busy. I swear. It becomes so crowded you can hardly move.

Kids grab my hand thinking I'm their mom. Seniors ask me for the vegetable aisle when they're right in front of it. Rowdy boys push each other that one of them ends up jabbing my ribs. Gossiping girls take their time walking, making the line have mini traffic.

If I ever want to survive a day in the grocery I must never, ever, go on the weekends.

The weekdays are most logical time to go. Fridays are full of college kids re-stocking for a party that would most likely send the police coming for public disturbance or end up having a party that will end on Saturday. My after school hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays are filled with my extra-curricular activities.

And Monday just sounds too poetic for me to pass up.

The afternoons are relatively empty. Stay home moms mostly come in the morning.

Monday afternoons were meant for the grocery.

I walked inside greeting the guard on the way in.

"Good Afternoon, Frank," I said smiling.

"Happy Monday, Amy," he answers back. He is one of the people who know about my logic behind Monday afternoons.

I managed to get a routine by now.

First I'd go to the vegetable aisle. It doesn't take too long; there are only a handful of vegetables that Dan is willing to eat.

Second, I'd go to the meat and dairy.

After that I would roam around for a couple of minutes to look of anything that catches my fancy.

That system usually works out for me.

After I got everything I needed I went to the check-out counter. I went straight to the third lane. You get this strange discount. It was a loyalty thing. Go to the same lane get a dollar off.

It was a pretty desperate thing but money was something that doesn't come easy.

Bills pile up and there is only so much Nellie can pay for.

There was a guy already there.

I looked at the other check-out points. There were about three to five people on the other lanes.

I shrugged to myself. I get a discount plus there is only one person in front of me.

Short line, almost non-existent really, and a discount.

Couldn't this day get any better?

A big win for me.

_10 minutes later. . ._

I was wrong.

Good Heavens, I was so wrong!

It was taking forever!

I was looking at my watch. I have been waiting in line for more than five minutes!

He must have been flirting with the cashier. I've been here for long. She was a pretty girl, he must be trying to get her attention.

I looked at him. I mean a really good look at him. Not the peripheral view or the "I'm-looking-behind-you-so-I-see-your-profile" type of view.

He was handsome, very handsome.

His eyes, smirk, and everything seemed to scream "Look at me."

I came to the conclusion that the cashier was flirting with him.

My eyes roamed around until I saw what he was buying. There were literally about a hundred pieces of kisses, Hersey's kisses.

I know, I counted them.

I could say the reason why it took so long was because he was buying so much chocolate.

Then again she didn't have to punch in the price a hundred times and adding it. The wonders of the computer and the multiplication sign.

I stand by my last statement.

Cashier to lover boy, not lover boy to cashier.

This will take forever.

My only happiness at this moment was that I had discount.

I contemplated earlier if I could move to another lane but I didn't have much in my wallet. I lacked a dollar.

I am desperate for this discount.


	2. Chapter 2: Caught

I would like to wake up and go through life with my schedule.

I would like to wake up and think that this is another normal day.

I wanted that for the past two weeks, two incredibly long weeks. That boy messed my schedule, now I can't stop thinking about him. What is the motive? I tried to dismiss it. I blame paranoia, something that was so prominent in my family. We always have to look over our shoulder. Being careful, cautious, and calm; that's who we are, naturally.

He was just a guy who apparently has a sweet tooth, or a girlfriend with a sweet tooth. No matter, he was just another customer.

Who always comes on Mondays, who always buys the same candy, and who is always ahead of me in the line.

It was nothing.

Maybe it is something.

It could be anything.

My musings were cut short as Nellie put breakfast in front of me.

"Hey there kiddo, Guess what?" She was smiling at me, waiting for my answer.

"You got a new CD?" I ask quirking my eyebrow.

She shook her head again.

"You got promoted? Dan became normal? What is it?"

"Fiske and a few other relatives are coming to visit. Can you believe that? All those people coming here!" Nellie seemed so hyped up. I was pretty excited too. It's been too long.

"We have to make a feast. Don't worry about the money I also got a raise, perfect timing too."

Nellie pulled out a list of ingredients. I started to eat my waffles.

"Here are the things I need. It's a lot more than usual, so you have to bring Dan. I already bribed him to go." I took the list and put it in my backpack. I glanced at my watch.

"Sure, sure. I'm running late."

I grabbed what I needed and left.

"What else do we need?" Dan asked as he put the crème in the shopping cart. I double checked and everything seems to be here. "I think that's it. We are done." I pushed the cart toward the lane. My eyes narrowed at _his_ back.

I have to get back early. No dilly-dallying.

"Dan, can you stand in line? I'll take over when it's your turn." I said hiding behind his back.

"Ames, there is only one guy ahead of me." Dan asked turning around.

"Just trust me, go." I gave him a small push toward the counter. I stood by the magazine stand turning my back from the counter. I really hope this would work. It would be like the moment of truth. If it's just me or if he does that on purpose.

I waited for about ten seconds when I heard this smooth voice.

"Ma'am, may you please hurry up?"

I thought it was for me. I was hogging the magazine stand. I turned around and saw a very flustered cashier holding out a bag.

"Thank you"

I ran to Dan and took over from there.

_Ha! Caught in the act Mr. Hersey!_

AN: A quick question is it annoying when I put a lot of spaces? I find it easier to read but what is your opinion. I tend to do this a lot.


	3. Chapter 3: Clean-up

When we went out, it felt absolutely wonderful. I felt lighter with each step I took. I had my schedule back, even if it might be a one-time thing. Order, timeliness, and schedules are what I live for. I might have a mild case of OCD, so what? It never steered me wrong, so far.

Dan looked at me and asked, "So what was that all about?"

I don't know why he bothered asking. He never seemed to mind my other quirks. What could possibly be different this time?

"Why?"

"You seem so happy about the reaction. There has to be a background story somewhere in there," he fussed my hair. I stopped walking and tried to fix it. _So annoying._

"You said you'd tell me," he continued bumping me.

I think I see where this is going. He'd bother me over and over until I would crack.

"Why are you crashing into me? I was about to tell you," I said bumping him back.

"Where do I start?" I wondered out loud.

"How about the beginning?" he suggested with a cheesy grin.

"Smart- ass," I mumbled.

"Well, you know I always go to the grocery on Mondays. But about two weeks ago this guy comes out of nowhere and stays in front of me in the line bu-"

"_Oh, the nerve_!" Dan says in a high falsetto. I stared at him it was my "I-thought-you-had-better-manners-than-this" look. He doesn't really get fazed by it but he doesn't like being treated as if he was at the bottom of the food chain. He must have superiority complex.

"Continue," he said looking forward.

When he reached the pedestrian lane, I held him back. I looked both sides before crossing. Once again the paranoia, my mom and dad died in a car crash. They were celebrating their anniversary. But at least they died happy, you know? A spectator saw them from a bench, they were laughing so hard he said. It was the kind of laughing that your eyes are closed, your head is thrown back, and you have this big smile. Then a truck ran them over. I would not be killed for overlooking things. But at least they were together and died happy.

"As I said he always bought a hundred Hershey's kisses. The cashier had this habit of punching in the numbers one by one. It took forever. But if I leave it like saying 'I give up, you win'. Amy Cahill does not lose. I always thought he did it to bother me, you know?" I rambled.

After a deep breath I hooked my arm with Dan, "But today just proved my theory. When you stayed behind him he told the cashier to do it faster. See! Don't you see!"

I was completely giddy.

"Oh, I see. You're crazy," he said walking inside the apartment.

I caught up to him, "What do you mean I'm crazy? It's perfectly logical."

He set down the groceries on the counter and then looked at me.

"There are absolutely no other possibilities that he was there? Who knows, he might have your messed up philosophy of buying things. He might live really close by and does that every day. What if you were the one who's messing up with his schedule? Amy, let it go. It's nothing,"

After his long rant he left. There was a possibility, a really small like a speck -nothing really, that he was right. Damn.

Nellie came rushing in, her messed up hair and panic look only meant one thing.

"I swear it was only for a minute. I closed my eyes then, bam. I fell asleep," she said as she took out the pots and pans.

"Amy could you clean up? I can't afford to bribe Dan."

She was really panicking. I looked around the apartment and I don't really blame her. It was messy, the this-is-all-Dan's-fault-so-I-won't-clean-it-up type of messy.

But I resigned myself to the fate that he will always get away with it. The picture frames were put down. The carpet had multiple stains from multiple sodas and dips. The couch was buried under dirty hoodies, t-shirts and Dan's underwear.

I shivered.

_Why me?_

I planned a systematic way of tackling the mess. The first thing I should do is to clear everything up. Put all the clothes in the hamper. Comics and books go back on the shelves. Take Nellie's CDs and arrange it from genre. The second step would be to clean the carpet, this was the longest. The third would be to wipe the picture frames, the mirror and the knick- knacks.

After what seemed like an eternity, which was two hours in reality, I was finished.

"Amy, taste this," Nellie called.

I went to the kitchen and saw all the food. I stared at everything. There was no way this was what we bought. This was more, it seemed like our grocery bag was like some Mary Popins' magic bag.

She handed me three spoons. It tasted delicious, of course.

"May you set the table? Make sure it's perfect," she said stirring something in the pot.

I was exhausted. I was covered in sweat, cleaning products, and even more sweat. My hair was messy and my clothes were stained. Nellie looked like a food fight happened, and she was the only target.

Then the doorbell rang.

Nellie stopped working. I finished up the table. Then Dan walked by us.

"You should really get cleaned up," he said heading for the door. He had a shower and was miraculously wearing clean clothes.

As much as I love our family reunions, I just want this to end.


End file.
